A new "pharmacy" opened its doors in Holguín, offering a range of cosmetics, hygiene products, and personal care items, as well as natural juices, tea, and fruit salad, reported the provincial broadcaster Radio Angulo on Wednesday.
The establishment, named La botica de Los Parques, is located at the central corner of Frexes and Miró and was created through the collaboration between the private small and medium-sized enterprise Cadena de Tiendas Galas Fénix SURL and the Provincial Company of Pharmacies and Optics (Farmox).
The offer includes perfumes, serums, creams, cosmetics, equipment for measuring blood pressure, band-aids, and adult diapers. There will also be a small gastronomic section with natural juices, fruit salad, and tea, while the restocking of products and services will be payable in national currency and through available electronic channels.
Arley Leyva González, administrator of Galas Fénix, explained that the establishment seeks to offer products related to wellness and health. The location will have employees with a pharmaceutical background from Farmox and baristas responsible for preparing the food.
Tania Moreno Marrero, a licensed pharmaceutical service professional and manager of the establishment, also noted that they plan to incorporate natural production medications, including remedies and syrups. The announced hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The opening occurs after Decree 160/2026 authorized, starting August 4, that private micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and non-agricultural cooperatives can provide pharmaceutical services in Cuba, an activity that had previously been reserved for the state sector.
However, The pharmacy of Los Parques does not properly constitute one of the private pharmacies outlined in this new modality. Its current offerings focus on cosmeceuticals, hygiene, and personal care, while operating under a collaboration scheme between a private company and Farmox.
The contrast is especially significant in a country where the government itself acknowledged in August that only 30% of the basic medication supply was available in the state network. The shortage makes approximately seven out of ten essential drugs unavailable.
The situation also affects the extent of the opening of private pharmacies. At the time of the inauguration in Holguín, the Ministry of Public Health had received 76 applications as part of the pilot program, but only seven projects had been authorized, and none had begun to operate fully under the new model.
Additionally, future private pharmacies will face significant restrictions. They will not be able to sell narcotics, psychotropic substances, or medications designated for exclusive hospital use, while the importation of drugs will remain under the control of the state entities Medicuba and Farmacuba.
Galas Fénix, which has been operating in the Holguín market for over three years with businesses like El Regente, the children's ice cream parlor Gemita, and La Parrillita, is thus adding a new line of business.
The company aims to later extend this retail activity to the wholesale market, while the state health network continues to face one of the greatest shortages of medications acknowledged by the Cuban government itself.
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